For cherry cheesecake layer, whisk together milk alternative and egg replacer in a small bowl, until frothy.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese alternative and shortening on medium speed until smooth. Mix in sugar and Cybele’s flour blend. Add egg replacer and vanilla and beat on medium speed until creamy and slightly fluffy.

When chocolate layer has baked 25 minutes, remove from oven and immediately spoon cheesecake mixture and cherry pie filling over top, alternating heaping tablespoons of each in a checkerboard pattern. Use a spoon to swirl together until marbled, leaving a little chocolate visible around edge of cake.

Bake 35 minutes, until chocolate layer starts to pull away from pan sides and filling edges are puffed and set. The center will still jiggle slightly.

Grab edges of foil on both sides and lift cake out of pan. Cut into squares, wiping the knife blade clean after each cut. Transfer squares to individual cupcake liners.

For chocolate drizzle, place chocolate chips and shortening in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave on high 30 seconds. Vigorously stir. If not melted, microwave on high 30 seconds. Vigorously stir until smooth. Drizzle over squares and let stand 5 minutes. Server immediately or store tightly covered in refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Cybele’s Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix

Makes 6 cupsFree of: Gluten and all top allergens.

Ingredients

4 cups superfine brown rice flour (I use Authentic Foods)

1 1/3 cup potato starch

2/3 cup tapioca starch / flour

Method

To measure flour and starches, use a large spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup then level it off with a straightedge. Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size, zipper-top bag. Seal and shake to combine.

Method

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and cook 3 minutes, or until crispy. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.

Add onion, celery and carrots to the pot and cook 7 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften. Stir in garlic, rosemary and crushed red pepper and cook 1 minute. Add white wine and salt, and cook while stirring to deglaze bottom of pan, until almost all the wine has evaporated.

Incorporate chicken broth, diced tomatoes and pasta with a gentle stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until the pasta is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Mash half of the beans. Stir the mashed beans and whole beans into the pot and cook 5 minutes more. Add more chicken broth as necessary if the soup is too thick.

Cybele’s Basic Gluten-Free Flour Blend

Mix until all ingredients are well-distributed. Then store in an airtight container.

Notes:
When measuring flours and starches scoop into the measuring cups then level off with the back of a knife. Do not use the measuring cup to scoop.

For best results: Use Authentic Foods Superfine Brown Rice Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Brown Rice Flour (which is also quite fine). However, the Bob’s product does carry a tree nut “may contain” warning. If using another brown rice flour instead, place in a spice grinder or food processor and blend for 1 minute to get the find grind needed for these recipes.

The warmth of cardamom and nutmeg take these classic delights from ordinary to extraordinary. With a diverse set of cookie cutters, they can change with the seasons, from gingerbread men to Valentine hearts.

Glaze (optional)

Method

In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat sugar and shortening on medium speed for 1 minute. Add egg replacer and vanilla extract and beat for 20 seconds. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with milk alternative (1 tablespoon at a time), until all cookie ingredients are fully combined and begin to form a ball in center of bowl.

Lay out two sheets of wax paper. Divide the dough evenly between the two sheets and shape into two disks. Wrap each disk in wax paper and chill 2 hours in refrigerator; if chilled much longer the dough will become brittle.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour blend. Place one dough disk on work surface (leave other disk in the refrigerator) and dust with flour blend.
Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness, sprinkling on more flour blend as needed to avoid sticking. Cut dough into desired shapes with 3-inch cookie cutters. Transfer cut dough to baking sheets. Gather up remaining scraps, roll out and cut until all dough is used up. Repeat process with second disk of dough.

Bake cookies in center of oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For glaze, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk alternative in a small bowl until smooth. Use a pastry brush to paint cookies with glaze and dry, glaze side up, on wire rack for 1 hour.

This flavorful gravy is great on anything savory. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 week in an airtight container. If it thins in storage, whisk in a little more cornstarch and heat to thicken.

Makes 3 1/2 cupsFree of: Gluten and all top allergens.

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup (120 mL) minced yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 lb (450 g) sliced mushrooms

1/4 tsp salt

4 cups (950 mL) beef stock (look for allergen-free brand), divided

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté 2 minute, until starting to soften. Add garlic and thyme and saute 30 seconds.

Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms and salt. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have cooked down and are browned.

Method

In a small bowl, combine garlic, cumin and chili powder. Whisk in lime juice. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Add pinch of salt and dash of pepper.

Heat grill to high. Liberally brush corn with olive oil and lightly season all sides with salt and pepper. Grill with lid closed 10-12 minutes, turning every few minutes, until slightly charred on all sides.

Transfer corn to cutting board. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut off kernels. Place kernels in a large bowl and stir in onion, bell pepper and dressing. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add cilantro and avocado and toss gently to combine.

Serve immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

No picnic is complete without watermelon. But why not jazz it up with additional fruit on single-serve skewers and a dip? Bingo, kid-friendly food! As an added bonus, my boys like to help make this treat.

Method

Puree sliced strawberries in a blender.

Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and whip with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the yogurt, sweetener and vanilla, and mix until smooth and creamy. Add strawberry puree and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Oven-baked chicken is much lower in fat, but the skin never fully crisps like deep-fried chicken. The solution: remove the skin – cutting fat even further. This allows the chicken to better absorb the marinade, for the breading to adhere to the surface, and it creates a much better texture when served at room temperature or cold.

Grind cornflakes into a fine crumb in a blender or food processor. Transfer crumbs to a wide shallow bowl.

Pulse cheese alternative in a blender or food processor until it’s the texture of grated Parmesan. Add the grated cheese alternative to the crumbs, as well as cayenne, big pinch of salt and a few turns of ground pepper. Toss to combine.

Arrange a rack on top of a large baking pan. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off, turn in crumb mixture to coat and place on rack. Repeat with all chicken pieces. Let chicken dry on rack for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425° F. Arrange the chicken on a lightly greased baking pan. Drizzle with buttery spread. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden and crispy. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Tart, sweet and the perfect finish to a summer meal, get ready to fall in love with this old-fashioned cake. It can be made a day in advance and lasts for several days, covered at room temperature. But good luck keeping it around that long!

Method

Combine rice milk, yogurt, lemonade concentrate, vinegar and zest in a small bowl. Set aside.

Measure flour mix by spooning flour into a dry measuring cup, then leveling it off with a straightedge. In a medium bowl, whisk flour mix with baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum. Set aside.

Add sugar and shortening to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and egg replacer mixture. Mix on medium speed for one minute more.

Sift the flour mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer in three batches, alternating with the lemonade mixture, and mixing after each addition to combine. Transfer batter to the prepared pan, and use an offset spatula to even out.

Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the pan sides, the top is golden, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Place pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool completely. Spread frosting using an offset spatula.

Rinse and pat chicken dry. Split chicken down the backbone with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Flip and use the palm of your hand to press down firmly on the breastbone, to flatten. Beginning at the tail end, separate, but do not remove, the skin from the breast.

In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, 2 tablespoons tarragon, basil and thyme. Use fingers to spread and massage zest-herb mixture under chicken skin. Use toothpicks to secure the skin at the tail end, if needed.

Place chicken cavity side up on rack over vegetables. Season liberally with salt and pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon each). Combine lemon juice with wine and pour over chicken.

Roast chicken and vegetables for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and flip chicken using tongs. Baste chicken with pan juices then brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with more salt and pepper (about 1/8 teaspoon each). Return to oven and roast 15 minutes more.

Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Bake chicken and vegetables for 1 hour, undisturbed, until skin is crispy, juices run clear and an instant thermometer, inserted into thickest part of chicken, reads 185° F

Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted vegetables and top with pan juices.